Apparatus for profiling articles



Dec. 4, 1951 B. A. RAETSCH 2,577,154

APPARATUS FOR PROFILING ARTICLES Filed May .4, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR B.A.RAETSCH ATTORNEY B. A. RAETSCH APPARATUS FOR PROFILING ARTICLES Dec. 4, 195] 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed May 4, 1946 n m f A M 5 INVENTOR B. A. RAETSCH BY ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 APPARATUS EORPRDFILING ARTICLES" Bruno -Ax- Raetschy Baltimore; Md., assignor to- Western Electric. Company;v Incorporated, New Yorln, Y; a corporation; of. New York Application May'4; 1946; Serial "No. 667346 3iGlaimsi. (Cl.-90-:-24.3:)

This invention relates to apparatus for profiling articls, and more-particularly to app ratus forprofilihg supportingcards.

In themanuf'acture of 'potentiometersof a type including a supporting card" having a predeter- 'mine'd 'profile, a'fiIre resi'stance'wire wound'close- 1y around the supporting card and holes in" predetermined positions thereoffor mounting the potentiometer cardin'a predetermined position; it' is essential that the. profiles of" the cards" are formed uniformly with" respect to the holes in the=cards In thepa-st; it has been difiicult to cut the profiles-on the cards so that they arein predetermined relationships with respect" to the holes iir the cards An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for" profiling articles;

Anotherobject of the invent-ionisto' mount a plurality of cards composed of insulating mate'- rial in predeterminedrelationshipswith respect to a master cam of a' profiling apparatus so that the profiles of the cards formed by the profiling apparatus willbe inpredetermined relationships with respect to mounting: holes formed in the cards;

A'napparatus forming one specific embodimentofthe invention includesa pair oft'd'ial inadicators having spring-loaded plungers; whose positions control the-positionsof pointers of the indicators with respect-to dialsthereofi The-dial indicators mounted in fixed positions; in which positionsthe spring lo'a'dedplunger of-"one indicatbnisengage'dby the encl of a-m'astercam; which is designedto; controlthemovement'of a profiling cutterand'the springeloadedplunger oftheother indicator is: engaged by an end of, a mounting plate for mounting a; plurality of supporting cards to be profiled: The mountingplate isdesigne'dto carry'the cardsgi'n predetermined positions thereon and may be adjustediongit'udi'nally with; respect to the. master oam; Whenthe" correct positions of the cards: areattained, they will be indicated by the readings of the pointers; of the indicators on the dials; thereof which are graduated in units of a thousandth'oi an inch.

Acompletepunderstanding ofth'e invention1may be obtained from the following detailedidescripticn of an apparatus forminga specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction" with the appended drawings, in which:

1 is a fragmentary, top plan viewofi an apparatus forming one specific embodiment: ofthainvention shown: partly-in section;

f 'Fi *21is an enlarged, fragmentary; top plan. view'of a portion of the. apparatus;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary; vertical section taken alongline 3-3 of Fig: 1';

Fig; 4 is' an enlarged, fragmentary, verticatsection' taken along line l 4 of Fig.1, and;

Fig.1 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 55 of Fig. l.

Referringnow indetail to the drawings; a: proafiling apparatus includes a. cutter carriage; I'll (Figs; 1 and 5)", which may bemovedralongguide rails ll-Il by a feed screw IZ'. apparatus per-se is generally identical? with that disclosed and claimed in Patent- Noz. 2355;811", issued August 151.1944; Cards I-5'l"5; composed of insulating material which are. to be formed into profiled supporting cards,-. around which YE: sistance wires :may be wound to form potentiometer cards, are provided with holes res-4c and i l--15 formed therein, which are used to: mountthecards in potentiometers' in predetermined po sitionsfor subsequent manufacturing operations:

Studs- [8-48 are fastened in the mounting plate El and project through holes 22'22 and 23'--23 formed in a backing plate 25 and alining: plate 28, the holes l d-l6 and lll'l in the cards [ff-.15; holes 2'5 and Z'S-28 formed in a lining plate 38' and holes: 3 1 and 33-33 formed in a" clamping plate-32i Nuts 3 5-35- threaded on the ends of the studs l8"l8 fasten these elements tightly together: Thestuds l 8'-|"8 fit tightly. in these holes so that the holes iii-l6 in the cards 15-4 5 arethu'sheld in predetermined positions with respect'to the left end of the mountin'grplate Z l, as'viewedin Fig 1; In these positions; each of the" holes ii -H3 is spaced a predetermined distanoe'to' the rightofthe left endofthe-mounting plate 2 l The leftend of the'mounting plate-'2 I, as viewed 3',,is provided with=horizontal sl0ts 3434'; Themounting-- plate 2 I be fastened ad'just ablyto a'fiange-Gfl ofa support it by bolts 38 -35"; which projectthrough-the horizontal slots 3436' and vertical slbts-'3l3T (Fig. 3)" formed in the flange lit; and nuts; of which a nut' iz (Fig-z 1 is shown, threaded on the ends of the bolts; The right emf of themounting plate 2 I, as viewedin Fi I, i's-provi'de'ol with horizontal slots; of'which ahorizontal slot ili is shown", which areidentical' with the-horizontal slots 3'$"4-. Bolts; ofwhi'ch' a bolt Mi is-shown; which are identicalwith the bolt's 36-3'6 (Fig; 3)", project through horizontal slots- 44:44 (Fig. 1*) and through vertical slots; ofwhich a vertical slot H is shown, formed in a' flange 59" ofa stationary support 5 F. Nuts; of which a nut 5'2 i's shown, threaded on the ends of.

the bolts 45-46 may be tightened tosecure themounting plate 2! in fixed positions tothe flange; Elli 'I'hemounting plate and the backing plate 3-2are held against'longitudinal or vertical-move- The profiling relative to the stationary supports 4| and 5|,

which adjustment is permitted by the vertical slots 31-31 and 41-41 formed in the flanges 46 and 56, respectively. The vertical adjustment of the mounting plate 2| may be gauged by a shim 54 which rests on a shoulder 53 of the flange 40 and a similar shim and shoulder (not shown) of the flange 513 to position the cards |5- |5 for a roughing cut thereof. For a finish cut on the bottom edges of the cards |5-| 5, the shims illustrated by the shim 54 are removed from between the mounting plate 2| and the shoulders, illustrated by the shoulder 53, and the mounting plate 2| is adjusted to a position in which it rests on the shoulders, illustrated by the shoulder 53. Hence, the mounting plate 2| may be adjusted vertically to a predetermined position with respect to the supports 4| and 5!.

A master cam 55 (Fig. 4) has a profile 56 formed thereon, which includes a lobe 51 and a corner 58 at the start of the lobe. Bolts 59-59 project through vertical slots 69-69 formed in the right end of the master cam 55, as viewed in Fig. 4, and through close fitting bores 68-66 formed in a flange 62 of the support 4|, and nuts, of which a nut 65 is shown, threaded on the ends of the bolts are designed to secure the master cam 55 to the support 4|. Bolts, of which a bolt 64 (Fig. 1) is shown, project through vertical slots, of which a vertical slot 6| is shown, and through holes, of which a hole 69 is shown, formed in a flange 63 of the stationary support 5|. Nuts, of which a nut 66 is shown, are threaded on the ends of the bolts 64-64, and secure the right end of the master cam 55 to the flange 63. The vertical slots 60-60 and 6|-6I permit the master cam 55 to be adjusted vertically with respect to the flanges 62 and 63.

When the master cam 55 is fastened to the flanges 62 and 63 for a roughing cut on the tops of the cards |5-l5, the master cam 55 is supported by shims, of which a shim is shown, positioned between the master cam and shoulders, of which a shoulder 61 is shown, formed on the flanges 62 and 63. For a finish cut on the tops of the cards, the master cam 55 (Fig. 4) is clamped to the flanges 62 and 63 in positions in which the ends thereof rest on the shoulders 61-61. The master cam 55 may not be adjusted longitudinally because the width of the slots 60-66 and 6|-6| is just large enough to receive the bolts 59-59 and 64-64.

The left end of the master cam 55, as viewed in Fig. l, engages a spring-loaded plunger H of a high-sensitivity dial indicator 12 of a well known type and holds the spring-loaded plunger 1| to the left of its normal, or zero, position. The indicator 12 is rigidly secured to the support 4| by an arm 13 of a bracket 14. The position of a pointer of the indicator 12 is controlled by the position of the spring-loaded plunger 1| and indicates on a dial 16 of the indicator 12 the position of the spring-loaded plunger 1| in thousandths of an inch.

' the cards |5-|5.

4 bracket 14, is engaged by the mounting plate 2| when the mounting plate 2| is secured to the flanges 4D and of the supports 4| and 5|. The indicator 82 includes a pointer 85 identical with the pointer 15, and a dial 86, identical with the dial 16.

The profiling apparatus includes a drive 96 for driving the feed screw |2 to move the cutter carriage |0 along the rails and for reciprocating a cross-slide 9| transversely with respect to the cards |5-| 5. A lower cutter 92 (Fig. 5) mounted on' the cross slide 9|, which is carried by the'carriage l0, serves to cut the lower portions of the cards |5-l5 as the crossslide is reciprocated by a reciprocating device 93 and the carriage 0 is moved longitudinally along The lower cutter 92 moves horizontally only and does not move vertically during its operation.

A cutter support 95 supporting an upper cutter 96 is mounted for vertical movement upon posts 91-91 mounted rigidly on the cross-slide 9|. As the cross-slide 9| is reciprocated transversely with respect to the cards |5-|5 and the lower cutter 92 cuts the lower portions of the cards |5-|5, the upper cutter 96 also is reciprocated transversely of the cards |5|5 and cuts upper portions of these cards away. However, as the carriage I0 is moved along the guide rails by the feed screw |2, a height-regulating mechanism I09 is actuated by a cam follower Illl, which rolls along the profile 51 of the master cam 55, and moves the cutter support 95 and the upper cutter 96 vertically so that the path followed by the upper cutter 96 corresponds exactly to the profile 51 of the master cam 55. Hence, profiles, of which a profile I06 is shown, formed on the cards |5-| 5 after the carriage I9 has been moved along the entire length of the cards, will be identical with the profile 51 of the master cam 55. Since the mounting plate 2| is clamped to the supports 4| and 5| in positions in which the reading of the dial indicator 82 is the same as the reading of the dial indicator 12, the mounting holes |6-i6 in the cards |5-l5 and corners HIS-I98 (Fig. 1) of the profiles |96-I66 of the cards at the beginning of lobes, of which a lobe N11 is shown, of the profiles will be spaced a predetermined distance apart.

In the operation of the apparatus described hereinabove, the shims 16-10 are positioned under the ends of the master cam 55, and the master cam is clamped securely to the flanges 62 and 63 of the supports 4| and 5|, respectively.

A spring-loaded plunger 8| of a high-sensitivity dial indicator 82, which is identical with the in- In this position, the master cam 55 holds the spring-loaded plunger 1| of the dial indicator 12 in a position a predetermined distance to the left. as viewed in Fig. 1, of its zero position, and the reading of the pointer 15 on the dial 16 corresponds to the displacement of the plunger 1| in thousandths of an inch.

The cards |5-| 5 are mounted on the mounting plate 2| in positions in which the holes |6-|6 are a predetermined distance from the left end of the mounting plate 2|, as viewed in Fig. 1, as described hereinabove.

The shims 54-54 then are placed upon the shoulders 53-53, and the mounting plate 2| is placed upon the shims 54-54. The mounting plate 2 i then is adjusted longitudinally untilthe reading of the pointer on the dial 81 is the same as that of the reading of the pointer p the dia1'16. The mounting plate 2| is clamped securely to the flanges 46 and 5!! of the supports 4| and 5|, respectively, while in these positions,

and the roughing cuts of the cards l-i5 by the cutters s2 and 95 are made.

The master cam 55 is loosened from the flanges 62 and 63 of the supports H and 5t, respectively, the shims lit-i9 (Fig. l) are removed, the master cam 55 is pressed downwardly against the shoulders Iiiil The master cam 55 is reclamped to the supports 4!. and 5! in this position, and engages the spring-loaded plunger ii to cause a predetermined reading of the pointer '55 on the dial "56 or the dial indicator 72. The mounting plate 2! is unolamped from the flanges 4i] and 5B or the supports ll and 5!, respectively. and the shims E l-54 (Fig. 3) are removed from between the shoulders 5353 and the mounting plate 2!. The mounting plate 2i then is pressed downwardly until it engages the shoulders 5353 formed on the flanges 40 and 5t, and the mount ing plate 2| is moved longitudinally until the reading of the pointer on the dial 85 of the indicator 82 is the same as that of the pointer on the dial 15 of the indicator '52. The mounting plate 2! then is clamped securely to the flanges 40 and 5&3 of the supports 4| and 5!, respectively, in these positions, in which positions the mounting holes lEi5 and lll'i and the cards i5-I5 are in the correct longitudinal positions with respect to the profile 56 of the master cam 55. The finish cut on the cards l5-l5 then is made, and the upper profiles IDS-I06 of the cards i5l5 and the straight bottom edges thereof are formed thereon and bear predetermined relationships with respect to the mounting holes 5-45 and il-i'i in the cards l5-I5.

The dial indicators '52 and 82 are highly sensitive so that very fine orientation of the cards I5i5 with respect to the master cam 55 may be made and checked by these indicators. Hence, different sets of cards identical with the cards |5l5 may be profiled identically with the profiling of the cards i5-l5, and the profiles cut thereon will be in identical positions relative to the mounting holes therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A profiling apparatus, which comprises a pair of vertical supports which are spaced apart, a horizontal guideway extending between the supports, a carriage movable along the guideway, a cutter carried by the carriage, means for reciprocating the cutter in a horizontal direction transverse to the movement of the carriage, a master cam having a vertically varying profile and secured adjustably to the vertical supports in a position extending parallel to the guideway, means including a cam follower for raising and lowering the cutter in accordance with said profile as the carriage is moved along the guideway, a supporting plate, means for clamping a plurality of elongated blanks to the supporting plate in predetermined positions thereon, means for adjustably fastening the ends of the supporting plate to the vertical supports to mount the elongated blanks in positions extending parallel to the master cam, a high-sensitivity indicator having a spring-loaded plunger aligned with the supporting plate and engaged by an end thereof, a second high-sensitivity indicator having a springloaded plunger aligned with the master cam and engaged by an end thereof, and means for mounting the indicators in positions in which a comparison of their readings indicates the positions of the blanks with respect to the master cam.

2. In a profiling apparatus including a pair of vertical supports which are spaced apart, a hori zontal guideway extending between the supports, a carriage movable along the guideway, a cutter carried by the carriage, means for reciprocating the cutter in a horizontal direction transverse to the movement of the carriage, a master cam having a vertically varying profile and secured adiustacly to the vertical supports in a position extending parallel to the guideway and means including a cam follower for raising and lowering the cutter in accordance with said profile as the carriage is moved along the guideway, apparatus for mounting a plurality of elongated blanks in predetermined positions with respect to the master cam comprising a supporting plate, means for clamping a plurality of elongated blanks to the supporting plate in predetermined positions thereon, means for adjustably fastening the ends of the supporting plate to the vertical supports to mount the elongated blanks in positions extending parallel to the master cam, a high-sensitivity indicator having a spring-loaded plunger aligned with the supporting plate and engaged by an end thereof, a second high-sensitivity indicator having a spring-loaded plunger aligned with the master cam and engaged by an end thereof, and means for mounting the indicators in positions in which a comparison of their readings indicates the positions of the blanks with respect to the master cam.

3. A profiling apparatus, which comprises a guideway, a carriage movable along the guideway, a cutter carried by the carriage, means for reciprocating the cutter in a predetermined direction transverse to the movement of the carriage, a master cam having a profile varying in a direction transverse to the movement of the carriage and also transverse to the direction of reciprocation of the cutter and secured adjustably with respect to the guideway and extending parallel thereto, means including a cam follower for moving the putter in accordance with the profile of the master cam as the carriage is moved along the guideway, an article-supporting element, means for clamping an elongated blank to the article-supporting element in a predetermined position thereon, means for mounting the article-supporting element in a predetermined position with respect to the master cam and in a position in which the blank extends parallel to the cam and to the guideway, a high-sensitivity indicator having a spring-loaded plunger aligned with and engaged by an end of the article-supporting element, and a second highsensitivity indicator having a spring-loaded plunger aligned with and engaged by an end of the master cam, the indicators being mounted in positions such that their readings are identical when the blank is properly positioned with respect to the master cam.

BRUNO A. RAETSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,291,934 Kuniholm Jan. 21, 1919 1,486,968 Kempton Mar. 18, 1924 2,179,211 Flygare Nov. '7, 1939 2,355,811 Martindell Aug. 15, 1944 

